Tag Archives: teen fiction

Synopsis: Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn’t happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister’s sake — and her own.

Opinion: I was asked to review an ARC copy of this book for my library. I thought it was quite good. Nice to see that there is going to be an interesting graphic book about Dia de los muertos. This book is well written and respectful of the topic. I really liked the ways in which they explained the spirits though the ending is a bit different. A must read if wanting to know more about the topic but definately meets a fans expectation of great visual quality at the level of a teen. I would recommend for middle and high school readers.

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one… until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow — between perfection and passion.

Thoughts: I really love this book I think as one reviewer said that this is very similar to the giver but more beautiful people. I would also compare it to The Selection series as well. The fans of both these books would love this trilogy. It is fast paced and I just whizzed through the books since there are so many twists. They are available as an eBook, audio book and book form. I started reading as paper copy then I finished listening to the eBook since I could not obtain a paper copy.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old David Sullivan’s life is about to change—all because of one tiny, priceless item found in the murky bottom of a Brooklyn water tower.

Sully is a sphere dealer at a flea market. It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make rent.

No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the more expensive—and the greater the improvement.

When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen. And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them.

There’s no question the Gold is worth millions, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here.

My Review: The start to this one is a bit slow. I’ll admit I jumped into it without re-reading the description so it took me a good 20-25 pages to really understand what was happening.Once I got the concept, I did enjoy the book. The start is where it really shines. Sully meeting Hunter, them going hunting, and the bit of luck they find together. It’s when they going off to search new and, hopefully, untouched locations that it starts to drag again. The whole searching of water towers was a bit tedious. But once they find that mysterious Gold, things kick into high speed. Maybe a little too much.

Once the Gold is found, they’re immediately on a trip to find the other. Four teenagers, alone, with no idea where they’re going. I’m not sure why any parent would think that is a good idea, but I suppose the lure of money is enough to say okay to anything. Of course, they’re also being hunted by the main baddie (if you can call him that) and he’ll start at nothing for the Golds. Of course, nothing is quite as it seems and what the Golds (and Midnights) release is not good. (There’s also a lot of suspending belief at this point, too, you just kind of have to roll with it)

What does it bring? Well, I won’t ruin it, but it’s not completely unexpected though either. I was a bit disappointed in the solution though. It felt too easy and almost like a cop-out. I would have liked to have seen more happen. It just felt unsatisfying to say the least.

Overall, it was still a fun read and I would easily hand this to kids just exploring the Sci-Fi genre. It has a 5th Wave feel to it, but I’m not sure teens who have read that series would be completely satisfied with this one. I would suspect there may not be enough grit/depth to this one for their tastes.

Synopsis: Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who’s everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger…but Kahlen can’t bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?

This was such a spellbinding book. I loved the way she writes the character so heart felt. She is unique and feels so many things and does not know why until she asks the Ocean more questions. The twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seat and you will never guess the ending. Surprising what people keep hidden because they just don’t think it’s possible. Can’t wait to for the sequel to see where she takes it, there are so many possibilities. A great read for 8th grade and beyond.

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

My Thoughts: I had a lot of fun with this one and would be great for those fantasy people. The world is not overly unique, but enough so that it’s not one I’ve seen too often. The kingdom is protected by the Valtia, who can wield powerful magic. The magic is not solely hers though and it passes on to her predecessor, the Saadella, on her death. Elli is the current Saadella, the only problem is when the Valtia dies the magic doesn’t transfer to her. In fact, she can’t even do the most basic thing like freeze ice or light a fire. Knowing they’ll kill her, Elli rans and finds herself in the outlands with bandits/outcasts. It’s there she learns there is way more to the magic of the land and that not all is as it seems.

There are times where it was a bit predictable, but nothing that was too horrible that I couldn’t get over. The romance is pretty mild. They kiss and sleep next to each other (innocently) but it wasn’t too much beyond that. It is implied that there is way more there and even some talk, but nothing is depicted on the page. This series is one to look into and one I’ll be gladly be continuing.

Synopsis: The compelling and gripping sequel to Amy Ewing’s debut, The Jewel, which BCCB said “Will have fans of Oliver’s Delirium, Cass’s The Selection, and DeStefano’s Wither breathless.”

Violet is on the run—away from the Jewel, away from a lifetime of servitude, away from the Duchess of the Lake, who bought her at auction. With Ash and Raven traveling with her, Violet will need all of her powers to get her friends, and herself, out of the Jewel alive.

But no matter how far Violet runs, she can’t escape the rebellion brewing just beneath the Jewel’s glittering surface, and her role in it. Violet must decide if she is strong enough to rise against the Jewel and everything she has ever known.

My thoughts: I loved this book so much after I read the first book that I read it in one day. It is very entertaining and for The selection fans this is a must. Girls, injustice, a higher ruling class with a bit of ancient mysterious magic. The cliffhanger is too die for. Can’t wait until the last book of this trilogy comes out next fall.

Synopsis: Alfred Kropp is the last person you’d think could save the world. But when this oversized underachiever gets roped into a suspicious get-rich-quick scheme, his life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Little does Alfred know he has been tricked into stealing Excalibur–the legendary sword of King Arthur–and the most powerful weapon ever wielded by man.

With an ancient order of knights in hot cars, thugs on motorcycles, and a mysterious international organization following his every lumbering step, Alfred undertakes a modern-day quest to unravel a thousand-year-old mystery and return the sword to its rightful place.

My Thoughts: I loved this book because it was interesting and engaged the reader with twists and turns along the way. This would be a great book to recommend to fans of the Percy Jackson books because it involves magic in the English legends with an awkward teenager. Kids would love this trilogy.